Smart textiles: o-textiles

Optical fibers have long been used in telecommunications as data transmission systems, using coherent light sources (lasers). The first optical fibers were made of glass, but since the late 1960s, polymers have also been used in their manufacture. These polymer optical fibers (POFs) are usually made of PMMA (poly(methyl methacrylate)) as the core material and fluoropolymers as the cladding material. Since the 1990s, various polymers have also been used to improve various properties of these optical fibers, notably their flexibility, enabling them to be integrated into intelligent textiles. High flexibility is one of the main advantages of POFs over glass optical fibers. On the other hand, the light transmission of POFs is much lower than that of glass fibers, which is why they are used for short-distance transmission applications . Textile integration of these fibers is not trivial, since any undulation of the fiber in a woven or knitted fabric can result in losses of the optical signal.

This article begins by discussing materials and manufacturing methods for polymeric optical fibers. In addition, the main applications of POFs and optical textiles are presented, along with a description of the stimulable polymers used in smart textiles for substance release or sensor applications.